When Extreme Weather Hits, Creative Cooking Methods Emerge

When Extreme Weather Hits, Creative Cooking Methods Emerge

Extreme weather can leave people in challenging positions when it comes to cooking. Areas in Florida are still feeling Hurricane Irma’s after-effects, and many homes still don’t have power restored. Which is forcing gastronomes to get creative, using propane grills to prepare everything from cherry pies to hushpuppies, according to NPR.

One family with fewer resources resorted to more out-of-the-box methods. Tara Gatscher tells NPR that her 14-year-old son made an impromptu grilled cheese sandwich by wrapping bread and cheese in foil and setting it on a metal shutter lying on the ground. Five sun-soaked minutes later, lunch was served. The Gatschers had used the metal shutters to protect their windows from Irma.

Earlier this summer, heatwaves in Arizona drove residents to attempt the comical cooking of an egg on a sidewalk. The Phoenix New Times stepped in as a voice of reason and urged readers not to consume those street eggs. While yes, temperatures reached 120°F in June, concrete only reaches a maximum temperature of 145°F. Eggs need to be cooked at 158°F for safe consumption. If left out at under the appropriate cooking temperature and above 90°F, the egg becomes a hotbed of bacteria and could lead to food poisoning.

Ironically, two days before publishing this anti-egg-on-a-sidewalk piece, the New Times ran a story about cooking a frozen pizza on the hot asphalt. After literally baking in the sun on a sheet of aluminum foil for two and a half hours, the pie tasted like “gas station breadstick,” according to a reporter.

Back in 2011, another New Times writer attempted baking cookies in his car on a 105°F day. The internal temperature nearly reached as high as 200°F and the cookies were done in an hour and a half.